Ralph Napierski, a self-appointed bishop from an apparently fictional order called Corpus Dei, managed to get through a checkpoint manned by Swiss Guards but was stopped before entering the Paul VI Hall, where the cardinals were gathering.

Dressed in fake bishop’s vestments, complete with a purple sash, Mr Napierski smiled to photographers as he mixed with more than 140 cardinals from around the world as they filed into the hall to discuss the challenges facing the Church and possible “papabili” or papal candidates.

Ralph Napierski, a self-appointed bishop from an apparently fictional order called Corpus Dei, managed to get through a checkpoint manned by Swiss Guards but was stopped before entering the Paul VI Hall, where the cardinals were gathering.

Dressed in fake bishop’s vestments, complete with a purple sash, Mr Napierski smiled to photographers as he mixed with more than 140 cardinals from around the world as they filed into the hall to discuss the challenges facing the Church and possible “papabili” or papal candidates.

I guess it takes practice to wear the sash right, look at him and look at the real cardinal how the real cardinal rocks the sash while the fake guy just looks goofy. its probably the costume disaster that gave him away. lol

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To God be the Glory in all things! Amen!

Only pray for me, that God would give me both inward and outward strength, that I may not only speak, but truly will; and that I may not merely be called a Christian, but really be found to be one. St.Ignatius of Antioch.Epistle to the Romans.

You would think an organization claiming universal jurisdiction would have a better system after

Just keep going. It's so cute when people don't have respect for each other.

Lighten up a little, the man looked ludicrous. You could dress a kid better for a school play from any costume rental agency. As for that picture with the Cardinal? See how far you get with a Yankee uniform you bought at a sports store at Yankee Stadium. You wouldn't be yukking it up with Derek Jeter on the field during batting practice for sure or footballers at Wembley. It was an appalling security failure

The article says the guy also supports something called "Jesus Yoga" and that he's invented "a system to enable persons to control computers with the power of thoughts."

Let's not credit him with awesomeness just yet...

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"Hades is not a place, no, but a state of the soul. It begins here on earth. Just so, paradise begins in the soul of a man here in the earthly life. Here we already have contact with the divine..." -St. John, Wonderworker of Shanghai and San Francisco, Homily On the Sunday of Orthodoxy

in a totally unrelated but related story, I once went to a RC store & they spent about 30 minutes trying to figure out what "order" i'm from. when I told them I was an orthodox priest, they looked rather disappointed.

Napierski is an episcopus vagante claiming episcopal orders from the Thuc lineage. Archbishop Ngô-dinh-Thuc in the last years of his life suffered from dementia and ordained and subsequently consecrated a number of bishops who took it upon themselves to erect any number of vagante ecclesiae which further flooded the so-called 'Independent Catholic and Orthodox Church' ranks. Like many of his genre, Napierski likewise claims sub conditione episcopal orders from a variety of other equally dubious lines - with Catholic, EO, EC, OO, and OC origins, if I remember correctly, as well as an Old Catholic or two. His personal 'Church', as already noted, is termed 'Corpus Dei'.

Like many of his ilk, the good bishop would appear to be the sole cleric and perhaps the entire congregation of his "Church". He's also a tad more 'out-there' than even most of them. As you'll see in reading his site, he goes to great lengths to make it appear that he's in communion with Rome and these folks generally are very adept at getting photo-ops, etc, that seem to make them appear legitimate. Unfortunately, one can find photos of any number of them with Popes, the EP, the MP, the Coptic Pope, and various other hierarchs. Had this character tried to pull this off with a bit more attention to his clerical garb or on a less unique occasion, you'd have probably seen him con-celebrating at the high altar of St Peter's.

Many years,

Neil

posted from my laz-y-boy cathedra in my garage cum cathedral in this the 45th year of my reign as patriarch-archeparch of Slobbovia and the 450th of the Baptism of Slobbovia

« Last Edit: March 05, 2013, 06:51:13 AM by Irish Melkite »

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"Not only is it unnecessary to adopt the customs of the Latin Rite to manifest one's Catholicism, it is an offense against the unity of the Church."

Napierski is an episcopus vagante claiming episcopal orders from the Thuc lineage. Archbishop Ngô-dinh-Thuc in the last years of his life suffered from dementia and ordained and subsequently consecrated a number of bishops who took it upon themselves to erect any number of vagante ecclesiae which further flooded the so-called 'Independent Catholic and Orthodox Church' ranks. Like many of his genre, Napierski likewise claims sub conditione episcopal orders from a variety of other equally dubious lines - with Catholic, EO, EC, OO, and OC origins, if I remember correctly, as well as an Old Catholic or two. His personal 'Church', as already noted, is termed 'Corpus Dei'.

Like many of his ilk, the good bishop would appear to be the sole cleric and perhaps the entire congregation of his "Church". He's also a tad more 'out-there' than even most of them. As you'll see in reading his site, he goes to great lengths to make it appear that he's in communion with Rome and these folks generally are very adept at getting photo-ops, etc, that seem to make them appear legitimate. Unfortunately, one can find photos of any number of them with Popes, the EP, the MP, the Coptic Pope, and various other hierarchs. Had this character tried to pull this off with a bit more attention to his clerical garb or on a less unique occasion, you'd have probably seen him con-celebrating at the high altar of St Peter's.

Many years,

Neil

posted from my laz-y-boy cathedra in my garage cum cathedral in this the 45th year of my reign as patriarch-archeparch of Slobbovia and the 450th of the Baptism of Slobbovia

The Orthodox Church, also, has these kooks, but they mostly seem to stay by themselves and disappear when you turn the lights on. How would we feel, if these people were as visible and brash and this guy would tried to enter the cardinals' meeting, did the same at an Orthodox gathering?

in a totally unrelated but related story, I once went to a RC store & they spent about 30 minutes trying to figure out what "order" i'm from. when I told them I was an orthodox priest, they looked rather disappointed.

The Orthodox Church, also, has these kooks, but they mostly seem to stay by themselves and disappear when you turn the lights on. How would we feel, if these people were as visible and brash and this guy would tried to enter the cardinals' meeting, did the same at an Orthodox gathering?